One month ago, this writer, like other golf writers and analysts, explained that the Americans lost the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland because they got skunked 7-1 in the Friday and Saturday afternoon foursomes.

News flash: Finchem has decided that the loss was caused by... the same thing we said last month:

"You can’t play foursomes down 7-1 and think you’re going to win the cup. Seven to one in the Friday and Saturday [matches]; you're climbing a mountain. They made more birdies they we did and that's the reason we didn't win the cup. It's not the first time it's happened."

According to Ballengee, Finchem's possible solution to the problem is to start an official exhibition "side event" of foursomes (a.k.a. alternate shot) during the week of the Arnold Palmer Invitation in March. Such a possibility is reasonable since the demise of the old Tavistock Cup, which was also held in Orlando.

Ballengee reasonably suggests that Finchem made his comments in part because he was not included in the PGA of America's official 11-member Ryder Cup Task Force. It is certainly reasonable for us to assume that Finchem wants to be in the spotlight of golf news and propose something "big" in advance of any action the Ryder Cup Task Force takes in the future.

What could be interesting — and possibly hilarious — is if the PGA of America and the Task Force actually agree, and then decide to get the jump on the PGA Tour and schedule such an exhibition before Finchem and the PGA Tour get off the ground with their own plans. It could make Finchem so upset that it makes more of his hair turn gray, sending him scrambling back to his hair colorist.

bkuehn1952 says:Or better yet, why don't potential Ryder Cup members take it upon themselves to play regularly together in foursomes and fourball matches with other potential members. If the matches meant all that much to the players, they would find a way to clear time on their schedules to practice. Waiting around for the Tour or PGA to create a big payday exhibition doesn't communicate to me that the US players want to change anything.